"It's a real scandal. This has to stop." - Bernard Hinault

French retired cyclists Bernard Hinault has aired his thoughts on Chris Froome's win at the Giro d’Italia victory on Tuesday, saying that the Team Sky rider does not belong in the pantheon of cyclist such as himself and Eddy Merckx. In Rome on Sunday, Froome joined those two famous names by winning Grand Tours consecutively, having won last year’s Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

Bernard Hinault completed his wins between the 1982 and 1983 seasons, went as far as saying that Froome should not have even been on the start line  "Froome does not belong on that list," Hinault said, according to Belgian publication Het Laatste Nieuws. "He returned a positive test at the Vuelta and afterwards his B-sample proved positive, so he has used doping and he has to be suspended.

"He should never have been allowed to start in the Giro. Why do we have to wait so long for a verdict? Those two Italians who had the same thing [Alessandro Petacchi and Diego Ulissi -ed.] were suspended much faster. With what right does Froome get so much time to find an explanation? Is it because Sky has so much money?"

Froome is currently under investigation after an anti-doping test during the 2017 Vuelta a España, which he went on to win, showed him to have double the permitted levels of the asthma drug salbutamol in his urine. It remains for the British rider and his legal team must now prove that he did not exceed the allowed dosage in order to avoid a suspension. As salbutamol is a 'specified' substance on WADA's banned list, Froome is allowed to compete while the investigation is going on. Both Petacchi and Ulissi received immediate bans for elevated levels of salbutamol even though it took nine months for a verdict to be reached in Ulissi’s case.

Last week, UCI president David Lappartient told the emdia that he could not guarantee that Froome’s case would be resolved by the time the Tour de France begins in July. Also, could also not confirm whether or not the results that Froome earns during the time of the investigation will be removed if he is handed a suspension.

"This is all very sad," added Hinault. "Froome is not part of the legend of the sport, because what image does he give cycling? He may also start the Tour later."

"It’s a real scandal. This has to stop."

Bernard Hinault Bio

OSMedia @optimum_sports

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Thomas Retains Volta ao Algarve

Geraint Thomas successfully defended his Volta ao Algarve title after finishing fifth in Sunday's final stage.

Alberto Contador won the stage in a time of four hours, 24 minutes and 47 seconds.

Team Sky's Thomas, 29, was 28 seconds behind, while previous leader Tony Martin drifted out of contention.

Ion Izagirre finished second overall, 19 seconds behind Thomas, with Contador third, a further seven seconds back.

Overall standings

1st: Geraint Thomas (GB) Sky, 18:34:15

2nd: Ion Izagirre (Esp) Movistar +19

3rd: Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff +26

4th: Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ +32

5th: Primoz Roglic (Sl) Lotto NL-Jumbo +49

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Froome Sticks with Sky

Chris Froome said it was an easy decision to extend his contract with Team Sky to the end of 2018 because “their values are my values”.

The double Tour de France winner tweeted: “Thrilled to announce my extension with @TeamSky until end of 2018. Looking forward to many more successes together!”

The 30-year-old joined Sky in 2010, where he acted as a super-domestique for Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France, finishing second overall to his team-mate. He went on to win the event following year and then again in 2015.

Sir Dave Brailsford, the team principal, told the Team Sky website: “Chris is not only one of the most talented and dedicated riders in the world, he is also a fantastic ambassador for the sport.

“Team Sky is proud to have him as our team leader. He is a winner and it is a great boost at the start of the new season that he has committed to stay with the team to the end of 2018. He is hungry for more success and we will help him achieve it.”

Froome said: “Team Sky have been fundamental to my success to date, so it was a very easy decision to commit to the team until the end of 2018. Their values are my values and I am proud to ride for a team that has shown that you can win the biggest bike races in the world clean.

He said that “2015 was a fantastic year for me both professional and personally and this is a great kickstart to 2016. I am more motivated than I have ever been and I have got big targets for this Olympic year. I can’t wait to start racing.”

Froome plans to start his 2016 campaign at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia at the start of next month.

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Cavendish Starts Season Downunder

British cycling ace Mark Cavendish will start his season at next month’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race. Event organisers have confirmed the 30-year-old sprinter will compete at the 31 January event, when he will make his debut with Team Dimension Data.

Cavendish is the third-most prolific Tour de France stage winner with 26 and he won the 2011 world road race championship. His last Australian race was the 2011 Tour Down Under.

He is the first big overseas rider to confirm he will start at next year’s Cadel Evans race and he joins Australian pair Simon Gerrans and Rohan Dennis as the headline names in the field.

He is also the second big overseas cycling name to announce he will race this summer in Australia, but not at the Tour Down Under. The Adelaide event is Australia’s only top-level WorldTour race.

Last month, two-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome announced he will compete at the February Herald Sun Tour in Victoria.

The confirmations of Froome and Cavendish are a massive boost for the profile of the Victorian events. It also continues a trend where big names accept lucrative contracts to race early in the season at non-WorldTour events.

World champion Peter Sagan, last year’s Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali and this year’s Tour runner-up Nairo Quintana will all compete next month at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina.

“We wanted cycling’s biggest names in Victoria and that’s exactly what we’ve got,” Victorian tourism minister John Eren said. “The top names belong in the state that does the big events best.

“We want the big sporting events in Victoria, because they mean jobs for locals and a stronger economy.”

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Kittel Takes Giant Quick Step

Marcel Kittel is joining Etixx-Quick Step for the 2016 and 2017 seasons after being released from his Giant-Alpecin contract.

“I want to thank the team for the faith they’ve put in me and that they will support me in this new chapter of my career,” the German sprinter said. “I am looking forward to the new challenges of Etixx-Quick Step, a team I consider to be one of the best in the world.

“I am also happy I have a few friends on this team already, including Tony Martin. Tony is one of my best friends in cycling. We rode together when we were younger and I can’t wait to do it again at the professional level.”

The 27-year-old Kittel has won eight stages of the Tour de France but missed most of this season because of a virus and was left out of the Tour, as well as the Vuelta a España and Germany’s world championship team.

“We are thrilled about the arrival of Marcel,” the Etixx-Quick Step team manager, Patrick Lefevere, said. “He has shown incredible pure speed which makes him one of the best sprinters in the history of the sport. As a team we will do our best to put him in the right condition, building a group of riders around him.”

Kittel’s move was made possible after another top sprinter, Mark Cavendish, left to join the African team MTN-Qhubeka who will be renamed Dimension Data next season.

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Froome Confirms La Vuelta

Team Sky have confirmed Chris Froome as their leader for the Vuelta a España with the Tour de France champion looking to become the first Brit to win the Spanish race.

Froome, who won his second Tour de France in Paris in July,confirmed earlier this month that he would take part in the Vuelta but it was not known whether he would be targeting victory or playing a support role.

But Sky have confirmed that Froome will attempt to join Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978) in winning the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year.

The team principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, said: “It’s been an unforgettable summer for us after winning the Tour de France for the third time, but it’s important to move on quickly, realign our goals and focus on the new challenges ahead. We’ve selected a strong squad for the Vuelta that has the right blend of talent and experience to support Chris Froome through the tough three weeks ahead.”

Froome, who came to prominence in the 2011 Vuelta where he finished second having initially been selected to support Bradley Wiggins, will again be assisted by Geraint Thomas and Nicolas Roche as well as six other riders – Sergio Henao, Mikel Nieve, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, Ian Boswell, Salvatore Puccio – who were not involved in the Tour de France.

Froome said: “I have great memories from this race so I’m pleased to be back. I’ve had a good rest after the Tour and now I’m ready for my next challenge.

“It will certainly be a very competitive race given the strong field – which will be great for the fans to watch. The competition will be tough and this is bike racing so anything can happen, but we have an excellent team and we’re ready to get the race started.”

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Cycling Legends - Bernard Hinault

Hinault and Merckx in 2010

Bernard Hinault’s achievements as a rider are second only to Eddy Merckx.

Nicknamed “The Badger” because of his fighting style when cornered, Hinault was a complete rider like Merckx who could climb, sprint, and time trial with the best.

Hinault’s record of ten Grand Tour victories is second only to Merckx's eleven Grand Tour victories.

Hinault joins Merckx as the only riders to win all of the classifications in the Tour de France (overall, mountains, and points jerseys), although Hinault didn’t achieve the feat in a single year like Merckx.

Hinault’s record of 28 stage victories in the Tour is second to Merckx. He won 7 stages in the 1979 race and 5 stages in the 1981 race.

Hinault’s record of over 250 professional victories, including 52 time trial victories, is impressive. Hinault was also an accomplished one-day rider and won the World Championship Road Race and a total of five victories in cycling’s monuments (he never won the Tour of Flanders or the Milan-San Remo).

One of the most memorable Hinault victories was at the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege in Belgium. The April race was held in winter conditions which deteriorated during the day. Of 174 starters, only 21 finished. Hinault rode solo for the last 50 miles (80 km) of the 151 mile (244 km) race through a blizzard and won by 9:24.

Hinault was clearly the strongest rider in his victory in the 1980 World Championship Road Race held in Sallanches, France. Hinault devoured everyone from the start in a race where only a handful of riders finished.

Hinault’s record, in the Grand Tours at least, may have indeed been even brighter had it not been for knee problems. Hinault was forced to abandon the Tour in 1980 because of a bad knee and was forced to miss the Tour in 1983 because of a knee operation.

In 1985, Hinault won the Tour de France thanks to the help from Greg Lemond in exchange for Hinault’s promise to ride for Lemond in 1986.

During the 1986 Tour however, Hinault attacked Lemond and wore the yellow jersey as the race leader.

Hinault kept attacking Lemond which made the other riders chase Hinault. Lemond was able to counter attack the other riders and take the yellow jersey himself.

Hinault’s attacks didn’t subside until the final time trial was finished and it was obvious that Lemond was going to win.

When questioned about his tactics, Hinault’s response was that Lemond needed to learn how to win through adversity and that this lesson would make Lemond a better champion.

Possibly, but either way it provided much interest and entertainment during the Tour de France that year.

Hinault left cycling at the peak of his career when he retired in November of 1986. His last race was a cyclocross race five days before his 32nd birthday.

Hinault's accomplishments include 5 Tour de France titles, two second place finishes, a Mountains Jersey and a Points Jersey in the race. He won the Giro d'Italia three times, the Vuelta a Espana twice, a 1st, 3rd, and 5th place in the World Championship Road Race, a Paris-Roubaix title, two Liege-Bastogne-Liege victories, two Tour of Lombardy victories, plus victories in the Amstel Gold Race, the Ghent-Wevelgem, and two victories in the Fleche Wallone.

He won the Tour de France - Giro d'Italia double in 1982 and 1985. He won the Tour de France - Vuelta a Espana in 1978. 

He is the only rider who has won all three Grand Tours at least twice

After retiring in 1986, Hinault returned to farming in Brittany and worked for the Tour de France organization, appearing at stage finishes to greet stage winners and jersey holders. He also worked for Look as a technical consultant and helped develop the Look clip less pedal. 

Since 2008 he has returned to cycling and these days he is involved as an adviser to the Tour de France.

The 2001 Tour de France starts on July 2nd.

www.letour.fr 

Froome Yet to Hear From Sir Bradley

Getty Images

Chris Froome says he has yet to be congratulated by Sir Bradley Wiggins after his Tour de France win.

Froome succeeded his British team-mate as Tour champion to become the second successive Briton to win cycling's blue riband endurance road event.

When asked if he had heard from Wiggins yet, Froome said: "No, No I haven't."

Froome was in Holland and Belgium beginning a series of criteriums at the start of his victory parade across Europe before focusing again on the latter part of the season with his main target being the this year's World Championship road race in Florence on September 29.

The short rides are more about enjoyment and socialising and showing off his sequined yellow jersey as the Tour de France winner.

Froome rode in in Aalst, Belgium before Helmond in Holland and said of the Low Countries' crowds: "This is not normal, I hope it's just part of the post-Tour syndrome (and) it isn't going to be like that forever, hopefully.

"It's all a lot of fun. After the Tour, which was quite stressful, this is more of a laugh and a great atmosphere. The Dutch love cycling so it's a lot of fun."

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